Martin MS October 2018 Newsletter
Principal's Corner
We are riding the momentum from the great start and I am proud to announce that not only has our student attendance increased but also student enrollment. Due to the rigorous instruction and course selection provided to students, Martin Middle School has increased its student enrollment by 20% from the predicted enrollment.
With the increased enrollment for this year, we were allotted additional teachers. The addition of those teachers have allowed for there to be more students assigned to our Innovation Academy, with again, increased numbers in each grade level from past year. This is the fourth year with our Innovation Academy and I am very impressed and proud of the strides and impact the program is having here at Martin. We will be looking to continue to grow in the future.
This year, we will continue to implement programs and initiatives to increase student engagement. Already this year, during our AttenDANCE in September, over 300 students were acknowledged with Perfect Attendance; this is a big feat. We will continue to work with families and students by any means necessary to keep our attendance at a high number.
Thank you for your support and belief in the things we do here at Martin Middle School.
Proud Eagle,
Monica de la Garza-Conness
Principal of Martin Middle School
Students of the Month: Leadership
Mia Benavides
8th Grade
Mia is a very responsible, motivated and confident student. She comes to school every day with an excitement for learning and a dedication for going above and beyond at school. Mia is also a model student who sets a positive example for her peers. Her work ethic and focus on doing well is an inspiration to her classmates and has earned herself a leadership role in the classroom where students often seek her help with various tasks/schoolwork throughout the day.
Braylen Williams
Braylen is a positive role model for all students to follow. He is very hard-working, respectful, and kind. Braylen participates in all classroom activities; he is not timid to answer discussion questions, which makes students like him stand out in a crowd. Braylen's work ethic coupled with a natural sense of citizenship, leadership and display characteristics of a true Martin Eagle.
Abel Vega
Abel has been an excellent classroom leader and is always willing to help. His leadership truly models what it means to be a Martin Eagle.
Alexandra Perez
Alexandra demonstrates leadership through her positive interactions with peers and teachers. She regularly volunteers to assist with passing out materials or to help fellow students organize their notebooks. Alexandra has been a model example of exemplary classroom behavior.
Counselor's Corner
Teacher Spotlight: New Teachers to Martin
Leilah Wesley
Ms. Wesley is a native Austinite who graduated from Hays High School and Texas State University. She has taught 5 years at Eastside Memorial Early College High School. She celebrates her first year wedding anniversary in November! When she is not aspiring her students to learn, she enjoys singing and watching her husband coach football.
Oluranti Valdez
Mrs. Valdez is a math-science educator, mentor, and program coordinator, who has been teaching in Austin middle schools for over 10 years. She has recently been transferred from O. Henry Middle School to teach 6th grade mathematics with Mr. Luden. As a math educator, I have helped a variety of young learners from the elementary-college level to grow as math students and to become more confident in problem-solving. I have been able to accomplish this through differentiated instruction, connecting with my learners in the classroom environment, and by providing multiple strategies for problem-solving and engaging lessons.
Meghan Buchanan
Meghan Buchanan is in her 14th year of teaching and has taught choir at Eastside Memorial for the last 10 years. She grew up in Oregon and studied Music Education at University of Oregon earning both her Bachelors and Masters there. She recently completed her principal certification through Region 13. Ms. Buchanan has a passion for Educational Equity and presents nationally on Culturally Responsive Practices as well as Social Emotional Learning. She has two boys, Wes is 5 and Emmett is 8.
Family Resource Center
The Family Resource Center at Martin provides services to support Martin families with housing, case management of family needs, utility bills, and monitoring student academic progress, to name a few.
The month of October is a busy month in the Family Resource Center. Such events include:
- ESL Classes on Wednesday and Friday
- Know Your Rights Clinic
- Medicaid, Chip Snap renewals through Capital Area Food
- Book Study: No Drama-Discipline - Every Thursday in the month of October
- Provide parent with Blue Santa Application
October Calendar
Sports
October 9 – Football vs. Dobie @ Nelson Baseball 6:00(7th) and 7:30(8th) - cancelled
October 10 - Volleyball vs. Means -7th & 8th B Teams @ Martin 6:00(7th) and 7:00(8th)
October 11 - Volleyball(7th) vs. Ann Richards, Volleyball(8th) vs. Paredes @ Martin 6:00(7th) and 7:00(8th)
October 16 - Homecoming Tailgate @ Martin
October 16 – Football vs. Mendez (HOMECOMING) 6:00(7th) and 7:30(8th)
Martin Homecoming Tailgate
Martin Homecoming Tailgate
Tuesday, Oct 16, 2018, 03:45 PM
Martin Middle School, Haskell Street, Austin, TX, USA
Coffee with the Principal / Community Alliance Meeting
Thursday, Oct 11, 2018, 08:30 AM
1601 Haskell Street Austin, TX 78702
Campus Advisory Counsel
Campus Advisory Councils are committees of parents, students, business and community representatives, teachers, principals, and other campus staff. The formation of CACs is required by state law (Texas Education Code, §11.251). Specific functions of CACs include providing review and comment on:
- Campus Educational Program
- Campus Performance
- Campus Improvement Plan
- Campus Staff Development Plan
- Campus-Level Waiver Requests to the State
- Campus Budget
Monday, Oct 15, 2018, 05:00 PM
1601 Haskell Street Austin, TX 78702
RSVPs are enabled for this event.